


Take the Opening

by Xyriath



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Canon, blade of marmora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 00:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13283316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xyriath/pseuds/Xyriath
Summary: A highborn, raised on honor and duty and memories of what position used to mean for the Galra.A military brat, raised to do anything he must to succeed, fair play be damned.A clash between their philosophies seems inevitable, but putting aside their stubbornness to learn what the other has to offer is even more so.





	Take the Opening

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Aphelion! The characters might seem a little different than what we saw in canon, but I always liked the idea that they rubbed off on each other when they were younger to become who they are today. Built from an RP with [Aurum,](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kyo_chan/pseuds/aurumdalseni), who did Ulaz. Enjoy!

Thace worked his jaw from side to side as his eyes flicked around the mess.  Though the motion exacerbated the dull ache already present from this morning, he found himself unable to stop, like prodding with a tongue at the sore spot left behind after a rotten tooth has been removed.

The sensible course of action would be to take his food elsewhere.  Though no one seemed to be looking in his direction when he glanced around, he could feel the stares from where he wasn’t watching, sense the judgement simmering beneath the surface.  He could only imagine how poorly it would be received, if he sat himself at one of the fuller tables, especially after the morning’s incident.

But at the same time, his pride refused to let him turn tail and run.  He wouldn’t let himself be chased away due to his outsider status.  Not out of the mess; not out of the Blades.

With deliberate purpose, Thace strode over to the only near-empty table and sat.

The only other occupant of the table glanced up, and for the briefest of moments, their eyes met.

Ulaz came from a race of lighter-skinned Galra, his ears smaller, his hair sparser yet longer.  From what Thace knew, that hinted at some form of noble lineage; the white hair instead of fur, grown into a long tail, essentially confirmed it.  Growing up in a military family, Thace couldn’t imagine willingly growing out _anything_ to be that long.  It simply made you a target.  Any opponent with half a brain would latch onto it in a heartbeat.

At least, Thace thought sourly, they would have anywhere _else._

For his part, Ulaz said nothing, only squinted slightly.  Still, it was less unwelcome than the looks he had received from the others.  Thace looked pointedly away and began to eat.

The silence lingered for several ticks, and Thace began to allow himself to relax, glad to avoid further—

“We’re in a war.”

The words, quiet and almost casual, rang across the table, sinking into Thace’s chest like a series of perfectly aimed darts, drawing his irritation bubbling to the surface.  His jaw clenched, another wave of pain surging through the lingering bruises, and all of the aches he had earned from this morning’s disaster seemed to pulse with the reminder.

He didn’t need any more of this bullshit.

“Exactly,” he snapped, done caring if this meant he was about to be chewed out again, ears immediately angling backwards in irritation.

Ulaz watched him for a tick, eyes blinking excruciatingly slowly, expression utterly unreadable.

“The Galra Empire didn’t rise using honorable means.  He knows this.”

Frustration coursed through him.  Yes.  He knew.  How could he not?  How could Thace ever forget that he himself was a product of that corrupt empire, with his willingness to go beyond honor to do what must be done?

“Are you sure?”  The words came out sharper than he intended.  “Because sometimes I think I’m the only one who remembers.”

Ulaz shifted slightly, though his expression remained neutral.  “I do think he remembers.  He remembers because he’s doing everything in his power not to replicate Zarkon’s actions.”

He had a point.  Thace knew he did, but that was what grated on him so much.  You could have a point and still take it too far.  He managed to suppress a roll of his eyes, then thought better of it.  Why should he hide his disdain?

Pointedly rolling his eyes, he said, “So we’ll be noble and dead.”

Ulaz didn’t seem to be especially offended; he simply tilted his head, as if sizing Thace up, then slowly… smirked.

“Or,” he finally said, tone light, “simply perfect your style without him knowing.”

Even with that faintest of smirks in what was probably an attempt to instill a friendship of some kind, every honed alarm bell in his head jangled suspicion.

Declining to answer, he simply hummed and went back to his food.

As he continued to eat, he heard nothing more from Ulaz.  Perhaps he was now to be allowed to enjoy his dinner in peace.

“Where did you learn that?”

Or perhaps not.

Thace glanced up, but he caught no derision on Ulaz’s face for Thace’s “dishonorable” tactics.

“Family training,” was all he said.  He had no idea how many knew of his upbringing, but he felt no need to spread it around.

“Are you of a mind to pass on your knowledge?”

Thace continued to watch Ulaz for any sign of mockery, for some sort of trap.  For himself, he couldn’t resist a humorless, disdainful smile.

“You want to learn dishonor?”

“I want to learn to win.”  Though Ulaz returned the grin, his did contain humor.  “Knowledge or death, after all.”  He casually sipped at his drink, as if he hadn’t just requested that Thace actively defy their leader’s orders.

“What’s to learn?” Thace challenged.  “If you see an opening, take it with whatever you have at your disposal.  Hurt where you can.”  He hesitated, then his lips twisted bitterly.  Ulaz had seen this morning; why was he asking after that disaster?  “And clearly it’s no guarantee of winning.”

“And neither is an honorable match.”  Ulaz leaned back, watching him.  “You’ve come the closest I’ve ever seen to at least scoring some kind of victory.”

The alarm bells continued to buzz in his ears, but the notion that someone here might actually value his contribution… tempted him.

“If this is some sort of trap, I’m not falling for it.”

“I’ve consistently proven that I’m not the type for traps, Thace.”

Thace’s ears twitched again, still angled backwards, but one of them had cocked forward slightly, interested despite himself.  “Based on what evidence?”

Ulaz blinked slowly again, and this time Thace could see a tiny bit of bitterness cross the expression.  “My record of losses in any spar I’ve attempted.”

Despite himself, Thace found the words tugging at some part inside him that could empathize.  Most of the new members of the Blade felt similar, he knew: they were all prodigies, back from where they had come.  But now, all together, no one was a prodigy.  Within the current group, no one stood out, and if anyone found it half as maddening as Thace did, he supposed he could understand the mutual frustration.

Still, he simply snorted and looked away.  “Mine doesn’t work much better.”

Ulaz leaned forward, expression shifting, becoming more intent.  “But that’s not true.  You at least _win._  I’ve watched you.  You beat the others more often than they beat you.”

Thace shot Ulaz a surprised look before he could catch himself.  Ulaz had been _watching_ him?

“And, as I said, you came closer to beating Leader than anyone else—”

“Yes, right before he threw me across the room and gave me the tongue-lashing of a lifetime.”

Ulaz hesitated, then said, a little too innocently, “It might not have been quite as bad if you hadn’t talked back.”

Every muscle in Thace’s body, from toes to ears, straightened with indignation.  “Excuse me?”

Ulaz simply shook his head, faint humor dancing on his face, and Thace wished he could be more annoyed than he was.  “I don’t think he likes being talked back to.  I’m not saying you were wrong, I’m simply explaining why you’re probably smarting worse from the lecture than the beating.”

Thace looked away, and the effort it took not to sulk— _sulk!_  Like a _child!_ —left him feeling petulant and ridiculous, though not enough to stop being so.

“And returning to _why_ —I won’t feel like I’m holding back.”  A beat of silence.  “I think that’s what I hate the most.”

Thace glanced back over towards Ulaz, but then away again.  “But that’s what we’re supposed to do.  Hold back.  I wasn’t raised that way.”

Ulaz was silent for such a length of time that Thace thought he might be about to stand and walk away, annoyed at the continued argument.

“There is grace in composure.  Being more upright, more honorable.  That is what I have been taught.”  Something in his voice drew Thace’s eyes back to Ulaz, and the expression on his face, hard and unflinching, sent a jolt of surprise through Thace’s gut.  “But I’ve seen too much.  Been through too much.  Seen times where holding back would have left more dead, and times where pushing harder would have saved lives.”

His answering smile was, once again, humorless.  “Fighting is different than seeing.  But regardless, if honor gets you killed, with your goals unfinished, it’s empty honor.  Honor, I’d think, is being able to set aside ideals to do the right thing.”  His smile shrank, gaining a bitter edge.  “But maybe I’m just a tainted product of the Empire.”

“You may be a result of the Empire’s beliefs, but you must have some of your own honor; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.  You want to do the right thing, and that’s more of a start than many have.”

Thace narrowed his eyes slightly, not bothering to hide his skepticism.  “And what has you so convinced?”

Ulaz simply shrugged.  “I want to believe until proven otherwise.”

Thace couldn’t contain his scornful scoff.  “And _that_ is going to get you killed.”

At that, he did prod a flicker of emotion from Ulaz; had Thace actually managed to finally offend him?  “I’m just supposed to suspend all of my goodwill?  That would truly make me like them.  More so than just fighting dirty.”

“Goodwill is different than blind faith.”

“Where do you draw the line?”

“In a different place than you, clearly.”

Ulaz watched Thace, settling slightly, whatever potential offense Thace might have imagined gone now—or at least hidden.  “I feel certain there’s a learning curve I just haven’t reached.”

Thace sighed and leaned back.  “You and I both, apparently.”

“For now, you should steer my curve to fighting.”  For the briefest of moments, Thace caught a wicked smirk; he had now seen more facial expressions on him over the course of the conversation than he had on all of the other Blades put together.  “I would like to try knocking you down again.”

Another soft snort.  “You’re welcome to _try_ at any point.”  Thace had sized up Ulaz’s fighting style within ticks of meeting him: noble, stylized, and completely useless in a fight where decorum is not the primary intent.

Ulaz simply let out a noncommittal hum, then said, “It’s easier said than done, but Leader has a weakness.  Everyone does.  You just need to find it.”

Back to the topic at hand, then.  He squinted over at Ulaz.  “And why are you telling me this?”

Ulaz blinked another one of his slow blinks, smiling faintly.  “Aside from stating the obvious?  Suffice to say, I’m tired of looking up at him from the ground.”

Thace didn’t miss the pride behind the words, the slight hint of highborn arrogance that he had learned to hone in on at the slightest presence, as usually it meant you had to watch out for the one possessing it: the first criticism you leveled in their direction would leave them running to a higher-up with a litany* of complaints, demanding that you be removed immediately from your position for disrespect.

But this time… Thace thought it might be directable into something useful.

He leaned back slightly.  “So you want to end up on everyone else’s shit list, same as me?”

“I don’t know what I want,” Ulaz replied without hesitation.  “I was never really a fighter, but I can’t avoid it here, and I refuse to pretend I can do so any longer.”

“Then what _are_ you doing here?”  Despite himself, Thace felt a bit more empathy towards* Ulaz.  It must be overwhelming, amongst so many of these prodigies that the Blade has recruited.

“I don’t want to do nothing, either.  What the Empire has done is wrong.  Ignoring it isn’t right.”

With another sigh, Thace leaned back, continuing to watch Ulaz, considering.

“…All right, then.”

Ulaz’s eyes widened slightly, as if, despite his argument, he hadn’t expected this.  “So you’ll show me what you know?”

“Yes.  But don’t come crying to me when you get chewed out for it.”

Ulaz smiled thinly.  “I’ll see you on the training deck, then.”

Knowing Ulaz meant later but choosing to ignore that fact, he blinked slowly back over at Ulaz.  “I still have to finish eating.”

Ulaz frowned, a little indignant.  “Not now.  Later.  I do not wish to have an audience when you start tossing me around.”

“I also meant that I’m not leaving.  You’ll still have to see me now.”  He took a pointed bite of his food.

“It’s not a terrible sight.”

Thace glanced over, ears twitching slightly as they angled forward, just a little, as Ulaz took a sip of his drink.  “Don’t let them hear you say that.”

Ulaz glanced around; no one seemed to be watching them, but Thace certainly didn’t need someone else being dragged into pariahdom alongside him.  “Are they all that bad?  We are supposed to be a united force.  There should be no ‘them’ and ‘us.’”

Thace grimaced.  Of course they weren’t _bad_ , just...  “After what happened this morning?  How could there not be?”

“So you got scolded by Leader?  We all have.”

“For doing something they all consider abhorrent anyway.”  He hesitated, then finished, “…And not being sorry.”

Ulaz simply hummed, and Thace couldn’t shake the sensation that he was being indulged.  “I really don’t think you’re the only one who isn’t sorry.  They simply won’t say it so openly.”

“And the fact that I now have?  Heresy.”

“When you best Kolivan, you’ll prove that you don’t have to be sorry.”

“You have a lot of faith in someone whose tactics have proven to be universally unsuccessful against him.”

Ulaz returned to his food, ostensibly moving his attention back to his plate.  “I’m sure you’ve got more than one up your sleeve, Thace.”

Thace made a noncommittal noise and took a bite of his own food.  “You just want to see him beaten.”

A rolling shrug, without even a glance in Thace’s direction.  “Perhaps.”

With a huff of what might have been laughter, Thace continued to eat.

—

As Thace’s teeth sank into the arm struggling to pin him in place, a strangled yell sounded from behind him.

But he refused to let go.  Not when—

A balled fist cracked into his jaw, knocking him loose and sending him staggering free with an alarmed grunt.  He whirled, lifting his fists to fend off another attack, only to see Ulaz staring over at Thace in disbelief, holding his arm close to his chest.

“You _bit_ me!”

Thace simply raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.  “I did.”

“And I… I hit you.  Oh, stars, I’m so sorry.”

Thace sighed, shoulders slumping a little as his arms fell to his side.  Three private sparring sessions already, and still this?  “Don’t _apologize_ ,” he snapped.  “That’s what you were _supposed_ to do!”

Ulaz swallowed, muttering, “What in the void.”  Thace thought it might be the first time he had heard Ulaz swear.  He raised his voice.  “I didn’t realize that was…”  He let out a soft laugh.  “…part of the rules.  I had forgotten.  We do not have rules right now.”  Pulling his hand away from his wounded arm, he glanced down at the smears of blood, then disregarded it.

Thace bared his teeth in what might have been a grin, and from the saltiness in his mouth, he knew that he must have some of the lilac residue on them as well.  “Yes.  That’s the point.”

Ulaz took a deep breath.  “All right.  Again.”

Thace moved in again, and the two began to exchange blows once more.  He pushed, going for every opening he could, hurting, chipping away, taking every shot possible.

“Your only decent shot was when you reacted,” Thace panted.  “React _more._ ”

For a moment, Thace thought Ulaz was about to retort, panting heavily and clearly hurting, but he swallowed back whatever words he might have said.  This time, he was the first to lunge.

Thace couldn’t help himself: he let out a laugh of exhilaration.  He fended Ulaz off, taking a few glancing blows, but he barely noticed.  On a whim, he left a small opening, noticeable but easy to close up quickly when faced with a “proper” attack.  A noble would punch; Thace would feint and then go in with a knee.

Ulaz staggered, quickly regaining his footing, and—

Went in with a punch.

Thace sighed, not even bothering to hold back as he shimmied in, caught the arm, and spun, sending Ulaz slamming into the ground.

“Come _on!_ ” he bellowed, frustration bubbling over as he stormed up to glare.  “I gave that to you, and you _still_ did it the noble way!”

Ulaz spat out another curse, then began to shove himself to his feet, grinding out, “Again.”  At least he knew Thace wasn’t wrong.

But Thace wasn’t done yet.  Midway through Ulaz’s rise, Thace rushed him, checking Ulaz with his shoulder and sending him sprawling again, a hiss forced from Ulaz’s mouth.  “Your enemies won’t hes—!”

Ulaz snapped out a leg, connecting solidly with Thace’s knee.

The ground slipped out from under Thace, and with an alarmed yell, he slammed onto his back, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

Though Thace might have expected Ulaz to take the moment to celebrate the victory, he instead scrambled to get traction under himself as he lunged over to throw his weight on top of Thace.  Though Thace saw it coming, as if in slow motion, his body didn’t react quickly enough to get out of the way in time.

The still-bloody forearm, leaking pale purple, pressed up under Thace’s chin; a pair of knees immediately dug, hard, into Thace’s sides.

Thace let out another pained noise, this one a grunt, as he arched off the floor.  He lay there for a moment, gasping, letting the pain subside and his thoughts settle, before blinking up at Ulaz.

“Good,” he panted.

Ulaz didn’t respond immediately, simply rolled quickly off of Thace, putting distance between the two of them before warily getting back up.

“Thank you,” he finally said, and Thace didn’t miss the note of pleasure in his voice.

Thace winced as he climbed to his feet as well, the aftershocks of the knees into his gut still pulsing.  Damn, Ulaz had gotten him but good.

“More like that,” he said, inhaling experimentally, pushing away the pain—and unable to contain the satisfaction in his voice.

Ulaz nodded once, and Thace didn’t miss the flicker of pride there.  “Do you wish to continue?”

Thace offered him a smile, and this time, it was genuine.  Without an answer, he lunged forward, lowering his head to charge into Ulaz’s gut.

As Thace had finally managed to beat into him, he bent to defend with his shoulder, protecting his stomach and bracing for impact.  Now for the part that tended to go awry.

With a snarl, he unsheathed his claws, aiming for Ulaz’s ribs.

Ulaz wasn’t fast enough to stop the first graze, and Thace felt them catch his tunic and some of the skin.  But Ulaz caught a firm grip of Thace’s other wrist, and twisted.

Thace let out another yell as he found himself lifted bodily, then flung across the room, to land, once again, on his back with a thud.

Well.  Better than he expected.  He admired the view from the ceiling for a few ticks before glancing back over to Ulaz.

“You’re learning,” he hummed.

Ulaz hovered nearby, but not close enough for Thace to retaliate.  Good.  “I have a good teacher.”

Thace simply grinned, not bothering to move.

Ulaz rolled his eyes, then turned to seek out the liquid-packs.  With pride, Thace noted that he kept Thace well within his field of vision.  “I know you can get up.”

“Can, yes, but I’m learning it’s quite comfortable on the floor.”

“Suit yourself.”  He pulled two out of the panel, then turned, a smooth and graceful movement, and tossed one at Thace.

He grunted and retracted his claws as he caught it, then pushed himself reluctantly to a sitting position.  “Done, then?”

“For now.”  Ulaz took a sip, watching him.  “If we spend all night here, we’ll have nothing left for real training.”

“Promises, promises,” Thace shot back, but he pushed himself up.

Ulaz drained his entire pack in record time, then began to rummage for the med kit.  “Don’t worry, Thace.  We can do this again.”

For himself, Thace sipped slowly, watching him: the way the tunic stuck to his back with sweat, the agility that he seemed to retain even when exhausted.

“I have to admit, you’re not as hopeless as I thought you would be.”

Ulaz let out a breath of laughter.  “You have no idea how relieved I am to discover the same.”

Thace shot him a sidelong glance.  “I hope you mean yourself and not me,” he retorted, not really meaning it.  But it earned him a laugh.

“I meant me.”

“Good.”  Thace finished the drink, still watching Ulaz.  He had bandaged his ribs, smearing them with a liquid that would have the scratches gone in short order, but was proving to have more trouble with the arm.  While the healing gel hadn’t been an issue, watching him try to wrap his arm with only one hand, and the non-dominant one at that, just left Thace cringing.  He walked over and plucked the bandages from Ulaz’s hands.

“You don’t have to,” Ulaz protested as Thace began to wrap the injured arm.

“I know,” was all Thace replied, tying it snugly.

Ulaz winced, but then relaxed as the gel began to set in.  Thace let his fingers linger, but only for a moment.

Ulaz leaned in, pressing his forehead to Thace’s.  “Thank you.”

Thace went very still, ears flicking back slightly, breath catching.  While he was familiar with the gesture—affectionate and frequently platonic, often used by highborn families with trusted friends—Thace’s family had never been one for physical contact.  He… hadn’t expected this.

Nor had he expected Ulaz to be fairly attractive at this distance, too.  Damn.

After a moment, Ulaz pulled back, smiling, and Thace felt no small amount of relief that he was smiling faintly.  More than just relief.

He cleared his throat and looked away.  Ah.  This was… likely unfortunate.  But he’d set it aside.

Thace shook off the thought and started walking towards the exit, forcing a nonchalant grin over his shoulder at Ulaz.

“So, what now?”

—

Thace stalked through the halls of the station, a thunderous expression on his face.

“ _You know how to fight, Thace, you just don’t understand when to use that, or why._ ”

Feeling like a petulant child, he let swing a half-hearted kick at the corner as he rounded it, snapping, “Knowing how to fight is what’s _important!_ ”

And because he was already having what might have been the most shit day of his life, when he finished rounding that corner, two familiar eyes blinked down at him from a lavender face.

Thace’s scowl deepened, and he prepared himself for a scathing remark, already racking his brain for how to retort—

And a hand clamped around his wrist, yanking him forward, sending him crashing to the ground.  He twisted in an attempt to save himself, but Thace barely had time to register a pair of knees digging into his shoulders before the smug-yet-haughty-enough-to-be-understated-about-it face of Ulaz smirked down at him.  Thace had plenty of things he’d like to do with that face, but he wasn’t exactly in a position to choose one.

“Hello, Thace.”

Thace just grunted and squirmed, and after a moment more of holding him down, Ulaz relented and swung a leg back over, standing in one graceful motion.  Thace pulled himself back up, smoothing down the prickling fur on top of his head.

“You’re right, it is important,” Ulaz continued, once it became clear that Thace had no intentions of replying.

Crossing his arms and scowling, Thace turned to eye him, then turned away.

“Training room.  I need to hit something.”

Ulaz remained blessedly silent as they found an empty one and began to spar.

Thace soon found, however, that he couldn’t return the favor.

“I don’t… see why he’s so _opposed_ to trying new things!” he panted, fending off an attack of Ulaz’s that was, at least, more ruthless than they had been recently.  “They _work._  Not against him, maybe, but—close your side, dammit!  But what _does?_ ”

“Another lecture, then?”  Ulaz had always been better at conserving his energy than Thace, even as he got better at expending it efficiently, as well.  “Have you actually considered perhaps listening to him?”

Thace shot Ulaz a poisonous look, and instead of pointing out his next opening he took it, snapping his foot out with a vicious kick to send Ulaz sprawling.  “And shackle myself?  I don’t think so.  Besides, where would you be without this?”

Ulaz shoved himself back up to his feet and continued to come at Thace.  “I _need_ this training.  You clearly don’t.  Maybe he’s just trying to show you a different style.  Round you off.”

With a scowl, Thace went in for a leg sweep, almost lazy in its casualness.  Ulaz let out a grunt as he hit the floor, again.

“I thought you were on _my_ side.”

“Remember what I said.  There should be no sides.”  Ulaz didn’t flinch as he got up again.  “But after getting to know you more, I have noticed you’re a little…”

Thace went for a gut punch, which Ulaz deftly blocked.  “Prideful?” he snapped.  “Irreverent?  Disrespectful?”  He listed off the words, so recently dropped at his feet, and Kolivan did it with such dignity that Thace couldn’t even bring himself to consider them insults.  Not feeling justified in his anger drove him absolutely _mad._

“All that and insufferable, too” Ulaz shot back.  Thace found himself so startled that he paused to glance at Ulaz’s face.  The humor there distracted him to the point where Ulaz almost managed to get in a shot to the kidney.

“You flatter me,” Thace grit out, wanting to kick himself for the effect the words had had on him.  Why did it matter what Ulaz thought?

“I’m only saying,” Ulaz replied, his breath infuriatingly steady, “that perhaps it might behoove you to at least play the game.  At the very least, you’ll cause less trouble.”  With a small chuckle, he finished, “You might even learn something.”

A shoulder check, and Ulaz lost his balance, tumbling to the floor again.  “Who says I need to learn anything?”

Ulaz kicked out the moment he had leverage, and clipped Thace’s knee.  A respectable attempt, but not quite successful.  Thace leaped back, steadying himself.

“There are always things to learn, Thace.”

Right.  Knowledge or death.  The moment the words had come out of his mouth he had regretted them, the sensation of being a petulant child returning tenfold, all the more galling because Ulaz had witnessed it.  Again.

Those eyes watched him from their position on the floor, Ulaz making no attempt to get up, presumably until Thace responded to his satisfaction.

“I know,” he finally sighed, ears angling backwards at the bitter taste of the words as they savaged his pride bloody.  But he’d swallow it.  For Ulaz.  “You’re right.”

He stepped forward, kneeling down to offer a hand in an offering of peace.  Ulaz clasped it, and Thace began to tug.

It was then, of course, that a leg shot out, catching Thace in the foot, as Ulaz saw the opening and took it.  Once again, Thace fell backwards in slow motion, and after he smacked loudly against the floor, he stared up in shock.  This time, Ulaz was actually _smiling_ down at him.

“Got you.”

“You… did.”

Thace wondered when he had become so attached to the sight of Ulaz above him.

Ulaz didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get off of Thace, instead leaning forward to treat him to the same forehead bump Thace had grown to anticipate with a guilty eagerness.  He wondered if Ulaz hadn’t been giving it more and more freely lately, but he tried not to think about that.  “Not so hopeless indeed.”

Thace exhaled, their eyes meeting.  The cocked head, the playful expression, left his mouth dry.  And there was more there, in the softening of Ulaz’s eyes and the angling of his shoulders, that, at this point, was impossible to miss.

Unfortunate, yes.  But inescapable.

Ulaz hadn’t pinned his hands.  Thace reached up, sliding fingers around Ulaz’s neck, watching the expression shift from a smile to something more startled, but not displeased.  With a gentle tug, he pulled Ulaz down, then kissed him with all the frustrated passion he’d had no one to share with since before joining the Blade.

He felt Ulaz make a noise against his mouth, and for a moment, he felt a flicker of true terror that he had completely misjudged this situation.  But after that terrifying tick, those lips pressed back  against his, leaning down into the kiss as Thace allowed his eyes to flutter closed.

He groaned, relaxing tangibly at the reciprocation, but roughening the kiss, just a bit, jerking his chin forward.  Things, then, weren’t quite as bad as they could have been.  Ulaz’s reservation had its own appeal, and something inside him wanted to see that highborn demeanor… well, wrecked.

He licked demandingly into Ulaz’s mouth.

Ulaz let him, but Thace earned a playful bite for his trouble.  Taking the lessons in pressing his advantage to heart, then, refusing to give in so easily.  Thace let out an indignant noise, gripping the back of Ulaz’s neck in teasing warning, but once granted permission, he deepened the kiss, tilting his head and humming, ears flat back against his skull as he tasted Ulaz’s mouth with a thoroughness that he’d been longing for since the first time Ulaz had put him on his back.

For all of Thace’s aggression, his demands, even while kissing, Ulaz refused to hold back as well, giving back as good as he got.  Thace felt the warmth of Ulaz’s heaviness press down onto him, and a shivering spark lit up his spine as he reveled in the closeness, so different from the contact when they sparred.

Something wild fluttered in his chest, and when they separated, with an almost giddy laugh he realized he couldn’t have ever imagined getting this sort of reciprocation, this sort of _passion._  Inhaling sharply, he pressed their mouths together again, kissing Ulaz fiercely.

But even then, what Kolivan might have deemed the “little shit” part of him was still actively whirring in the back of his mind.  Not letting their lips separate, he pressed his free hand to the floor, then levered himself upwards, using the distraction of the movement to flip them around, pinning Ulaz on his back.  Satisfaction swelled within him as he settled between Ulaz’s legs.

But he didn’t expect Ulaz to tighten his thighs, pulling Thace in even more, and he broke the kiss with a gasp of surprise.  A pale hand tangled in the front of Thace’s tunic, and when Thace glanced up, eyes wide, Ulaz had bared his teeth in a grin of his own.

“Get down here,” he growled, tugging hard.

Thace certainly hadn’t expected the vehemence with which he was dragged in, but after the briefest of seconds trying not to allow Ulaz the victory, he relented, allowing himself to be handled, to be yanked, to be drawn in and kissed fiercely.  He hadn’t thought Ulaz capable of this, really, and finding out that he was…  It opened up an entire new horizon of possibilities.

He just groaned as he relaxed into the kiss, not even caring at this point if he ended up being flipped right back onto his back again.  After all, sometimes you just had to reexamine your priorities.

The kissing continued, rough and eager and without pause, and for someone so ostensibly proper, Ulaz demanded and demanded and demanded.  Thace eventually found himself giving more than he could handle and, with a final gasp, he surrendered for once in his life, breaking away, panting.

As he watched, Ulaz ran his tongue along his bottom lip, expression so very, very satisfied, even as he tried to catch his breath.

“I win.”

Thace blinked down at him, the words perforating the haze of satisfaction so heavily settled around his head, and his ears flicked forward in surprise.

Then he let out a bark of hopeless laughter, lowering his head to rest his forehead against Ulaz’s chest.  Damn him.  Damn him for understanding Thace so well.  For leaving Thace feeling this way.

Fingers slid gently through the fur at the back of his neck, and Thace shivered as Ulaz hummed.  He shifted up a little to nuzzle at Thace’s ear, but then a set of teeth caught in it, snapping, playful but alarming, even as they drew no pain.  With a startled jerk, Thace yanked his head back, eyes wide.

At Ulaz’s soft chuckle, Thace swallowed down a mixture of sheepishness and indignation.  In apology, Ulaz leaned forward, nuzzling the side of his head.  Thace swallowed again.

“I was only teasing.  You bring out the worst in me.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s the point,” Thace grumbled in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

Watching Ulaz, the initial high of the kiss began to wear off.  He hadn’t really thought this through—not beyond his initial, desperate need to have Ulaz’s mouth pressed against his.  And now that he was on top, the next move was his.  He mentally chastised himself for making that flip.

Clearing his throat, he pulled back and stood.

Some small, nagging part of him hoped that Ulaz would stop him, but Ulaz let him go, sitting up when Thace had stepped away.

“We should clean up,” came the soft murmur, and Thace jumped at the opportunity to do _something._  His ears flicked forward in acknowledgement, and he nodded.

“Yes, we should.”  He cleared his throat and quickly jogged over to the control panel, turning towards Ulaz, who was already following, clearing the floor to make way for the cleaning mechanisms.

“After,” Ulaz began, moving towards Thace with a casual, nimble grace, “we could return to my quarters.”

Thace froze.

He certainly hadn’t expected _that_ level of forwardness.  In the military, you had to be subtle about these things.  Cautious.  Couldn’t risk offending the wrong person and ruining your career.  Clearly, highborns saw the world differently.

But Thace did have plenty of excess energy to work off.

“We could,” he finally managed, trying to keep his voice steady.

Ulaz watched him, and Thace knew the sight he must make.  Always so wary.  Always so suspicious.

“Take the opening,” Ulaz finally said quietly, shrugging with what might have been nervousness.

Thace couldn’t suppress a grin at that, and he could feel himself relax.  “Noted, and accepted.”  With a nod, he finished, “Meet you outside.”

He could have stayed behind to help, but he simply activated the cleaning control panel and left.  It only needed one person to monitor, anyway, and in the meantime, he could take a few moments to steady—

“Ah, Thace.  There you are.”

Thace nearly jumped out of his fur—again—at the deep voice from behind him.  Whirling, he tensed—and his heart sank at the sight of Antok, standing close, arms crossed.

“Been training?  Good.  I’ve been wanting to speak with you.  Follow me.”

Without waiting for a response, Antok turned and continued down the corridor.  Thace stayed, rooted in place, trying to think of _some_ sort of excuse—

Antok paused, then turned, eyeing Thace critically.  “Unless you have somewhere else to be?”

“No, sir,” Thace replied, quickly trotting over to catch up.  Right as he did, Ulaz stepped out of the training deck, eyes roving up the corridor and landing on Antok and Thace.

For the briefest of moments, Thace held his breath, waiting for the inquiry that would expose them.

But Antok simply nodded at Ulaz, then placed a hand on Thace’s shoulder, steering him away.

“I heard you had a… discussion with Kolivan earlier.”

The sweet taste of Ulaz in his mouth shriveled, quickly replaced by bitterness.  “If you could call it that.”

Antok exhaled.  “He sees a lot of potential in you.  We all do.  It’s simply a matter of harnessing that talent.  Concentrating it and pointing it in a direction _after_ aiming.”

For once in his life, Thace shut up and didn’t argue, hoping that doing so would end this speech more quickly.  He even tried to listen.

But that proved impossible.  Not when the thought of Ulaz, in his room, without Thace, distracted him to the point where he could catch only one word in three.

—

Antok, of course, kept up the conversation, “politely” escorting Thace to his room, and by the time Thace stepped inside, closing the door behind him, he knew it was both too late and too risky to sneak out.

The next day proved to be absolutely infuriating, to be so close to Ulaz so frequently and yet be unable to act any differently.  Thace wanted to throttle someone.

Unfortunately, Kolivan chose to spar with him in training, so that wouldn’t be happening.

Taking a cue from last night—both what Ulaz had said and the at least semi-optimal results his silence had produced from Antok—he swallowed his pride and kept his head down.

He didn’t have any success in his fights, of course, and ran up against Kolivan’s unstoppable wall of defense every time he made an attempt.  Something bitter inside him reflected that Kolivan was the best fighter among the Blades.  How was _anyone_ supposed to beat him fighting fair?

Kolivan eventually held up a hand, and Thace withdrew, panting.  For his part, Kolivan barely seemed to be breathing heavily at all.  It was worse than fighting Ulaz: at least Thace could _beat_ him.

And then, utterly unexpectedly, Kolivan nodded.

“Good.”

Thace nearly fell over.  Again.  He licked his lips, trying to form words, but only managed one.  “Good?”

“Yes.  You’ve made excellent progress.  Extra training, perhaps?”

Though Kolivan’s voice was neutral as always, Thace felt the fur on his spine prickle.  But—no, even if Antok had told Kolivan, neither would have any reason to suspect.  Thace took the comment with a slow blink.

“But I didn’t win,” he eventually said, bypassing the question entirely.

A thin smile ghosted across Kolivan’s mouth.  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.  Right now, winning doesn’t matter.”

Thace opened his mouth, ready to argue, because of _course_ winning mattered.  What was this bullshit?

But as he did so, he caught a flicker of resignation in Kolivan’s eyes, and Thace could just imagine him thinking, _Not again._

Ulaz’s words rang through his mind.   _You might even learn something._

He closed his mouth.  Kolivan’s face relaxed, and Thace nodded.  A massive hand reached out to clap Thace on the shoulder.

And then something occurred to Thace, now that he was listening instead of arguing.  Kolivan had said that winning didn’t matter right _now._

Something to think about.  Thace shifted, considering—

Kolivan’s eyes flicked from Thace off to the side, eyebrows shooting up, and Thace turned as well.

Not too far away, Ulaz threw himself at Antok, what looked like the latest in a series of attempts to down him, only to be fended off.  Still, the ferocity was uncharacteristic of Ulaz, and as the two of them watched, Ulaz lifted his hand, buried his fingers in Antok’s hair, and yanked.

“ _Hah!_ ” Thace breathed, barely audible, as Antok staggered, eyes wide, and fell.

The room stilled as teachers and students alike turned to see who had finally felled Antok.  Thace held his breath, waiting for the scolding…

…But Antok only nodded as he got to his feet.  “Well done.”

Disbelief and outrage coursed through Thace, and even Ulaz shot him a look of apologetic surprise.  Thace only turned away, whirling on Kolivan—

Who stood watching Thace, one eyebrow raised, as if daring him to speak.

Thace struggled to stay quiet, but he managed, for now, to keep his mouth shut.  Was this supposed to be some lesson he learned on his own?

He turned back to Ulaz, who was now in an intense conversation with Antok.  Antok seemed to be demonstrating how that strategy could have been even more effective.

Thace thought back to when Ulaz had pinned him for the first time, and how that pride outweighed any victory Thace had won against him, as it spoke of far more progress than Thace simply doing what he had always done.  He thought back to Kolivan’s satisfied expression when Thace had gone through an entire match without breaking the “rules” once, despite not landing a single blow.

He began to understand.

—

That night saw the resumption of Thace’s rule-breaking, but this time for a very different reason.

He deftly managed to sneak through the corridors without running into anyone who might think to ask why a trainee was out after hours.  He did run into a small hiccup when he realized that he didn’t know which door he was looking for, but a lucky guess lead him to the right corridor, and a quick perusal of nameplates made his task easier.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his fist to knock.

The door opened too soon after the knock for Thace to prepare himself, and that slow blink sent his stomach twisting into knots.  Ulaz had no right to make him this nervous.  Still, the surprise in his expression put Thace’s mind a little at ease.  At least he wasn’t the only one.

“Do come in, Thace,” was the polite response he received, and Ulaz stepped back, smiling faintly.

Thace swallowed, having been half-expecting a, “What are you doing here?”  But he returned the smile, perhaps with a little more vulnerability than he would have liked, as he stepped inside.  “Thank you.”

Ulaz moved to the side, then closed the door, and Thace heard it lock before he turned to see Ulaz looking at him.

“I am pleased to see you.”

Thace’s shoulders relaxed.  “I’m even more pleased to see you, I think.  How does it feel?”

“To have you here?  Rather a relief, actually.”

At the speed of the reply, the certainty, Thace chuckled self-consciously, ears flicking back in embarrassment.  “No, I meant to have been the first.”

Ulaz stared at him for a long moment, and Thace began to wonder if Ulaz had gone on a completely separate train of thought.  But then Ulaz’s face lit up, and Thace found himself thinking how _good_ Ulaz looked when he smiled.  He wanted to make him do it more often.

“Pretty damn good.”

Thace tilted his head back, letting out a delighted laugh.  All of the anxiety from barely ticks before seemed to have melted away, and right now, this was the only place he wanted to be.

“I couldn’t be happier for you.  And, well, I’m pleased it finally happened, too.”

“Well, of course you know who I have to thank for the chance.”  Ulaz tilted his head, blatant appraisal in his expression, and Thace swallowed as a thrill ran down his spine.

For his part, Ulaz saw another opening, and this time, he took it, stepping forward into Thace’s personal space.

“I would like to offer you my thanks.”

Thace paused, studying the lines of Ulaz’s face, committing them to memory, then smirked softly.  He stepped forward as well, so close that he could feel Ulaz’s breath against his face.

“If it involves tossing me on my back again…”

“Only as far as my bed, if that’s all right with you.”

Thace’s smirk grew to a grin, his heart leaping into his chest with anticipation.  “I think that would be ideal, actually.”

—

It took several more sparring sessions with Kolivan before Thace found himself hanging back after training.

Kolivan didn’t seem to notice initially, reviewing a few things with the students he had sparred with that day.  But as soon as he finished, he turned to Thace, tilting his head slightly—not speaking, but inviting Thace to.

Despite the extra few moments this had afforded Thace to think of something to say, he still had no idea precisely what it is that he wanted.  Not to accuse, not to ask.  To state, perhaps, but then what good would that do either of them?  It wouldn’t change anything, wouldn’t stop either of their approaches…

“When your mouth hangs open for that long,” Kolivan murmured, “I begin to worry.”

Thace grimaced as he glared without heat at Kolivan, then shook his head.

“You don’t care if I follow them, just that I use them.”

“You’re being uncharacteristically cryptic today.”

Thace leaned back, crossing his arms defensively across his chest and scowling.  “The rules.  You don’t care if I follow the rules.”

“You know that isn’t true.”

Thace rolled his eyes before he could catch himself.  “Not _here,_ but elsewhere.  As long as we understand them.  You just want us to learn them so we know how to break them _properly._ ”

Kolivan lifted a single shoulder in a noncommittal shrug.  "Our goal has always been knowledge over all else."

He turned and walked away, and Thace found himself torn between amusement and affront.  After an odd combination of both, he spun and stormed away.

Still, the grin won out as he headed back out into the hallway, the revelation putting a spring in his step, leaving something in his chest lighter—

The faintest whisper of cloth was the only sign that something was out of place, and it didn’t register with Thace until it was too late.

A sturdy form collided with his side, sending him sprawling to the ground.  Thace gasped, bringing his arms up in front of his face, ready to fend off the inevitable next attack—

But none came.

With a cautious noise, he lowered his hands slowly, only to see Ulaz’s pale face grinning down at him.

He sighed, dropping his arms, letting his wrists fall onto the ground next to his head.  The grin was infectious, and he found himself smiling fondly back.

“You did say at any point,” Ulaz murmured, eyes narrowed in amusement.

Thace simply huffed.  “Why is it that I always seem to end up on my back around you?”

“Would you prefer a wall instead?”

Thace let out a soft laugh, reaching out to cup Ulaz’s face, then sliding his hands down his shoulders, then gripping his waist.

Not caring who could see them, Thace tugged him in for a lingering kiss.

—

_Thace’s back screams in agony.  All of him does, really, cut and burned and blown half to bits, so much so that he’s not sure how he’s still breathing._

_And as he does so, his lungs screaming in protest, he sort of wishes he weren’t._

_When he opens his eyes, he sees only darkness, and the crushing weight that seems to be growing with each tick promises that he won’t be for much longer._

_He grits his teeth and closes his eyes.  He’s always known it would end like this.  Not precisely, perhaps, but he’s always known that this cause would demand his life.  He only wishes…_

_No.  No, he won’t let himself go down that route._

_But he will hope that Ulaz is still safe._

_A crumbling from above him, and Thace prepares himself to be crushed._

_But a ray of light, visible from even behind his closed eyes, strikes his face, and he slowly opens them._

_Instead of the avalanche he had expected, he instead sees a slowly widening hole, slim fingers gripping the pieces of rubble and drawing them back._

_A silhouette coalesces against the light, its shape familiar, and Thace can feel himself sag with relief._

_A lavender hand reaches down, and Thace summons one last burst of energy to lift his own and clutch it._

_Being dragged free of the wreckage is the most painful experience of his life, but it ends, eventually, as all things must._

_Well, almost all, he thinks hazily as he sees Ulaz smiling gently down at him, raw concern in his face, but clearly so desperately glad to see him alive._

_“You came back,” is all he can slur out around a mouthful of blood, and Ulaz places a gentle finger against Thace’s mouth._

_“Of course I came back.”_

_Thace groans, closing his eyes and leaning into the hand now cupping his cheek._ What now? _he wants to ask, but he can’t make his lips move.  Still, Ulaz knows him better than Thace knows himself._

_“We have work to do.”_


End file.
